NBA Rumors: ESPN Insider Explains Why Buddy Hield Is ‘Perfect Fit’ For Philadelphia 76ers
Despite suffering another huge disappointment in the 2019-20 NBA season, the Philadelphia 76ers will continue to build the team around the young superstar duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Rather than trading one of them, the Sixers are planning to add quality players that would help the superstars carry the team next year. In the past months, the team has already been linked to several players who are expected to be available on the trading block in the 2020 offseason, including Buddy Hield of the Sacramento Kings.
In a recent article, Kevin McCormick of 97.3 ESPN named four potential trade targets for the Sixers this fall. These include Chris Paul of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Terry Rozier of the Charlotte Hornets, Jrue Holiday of the New Orleans Pelicans, and Hield. Of all those players, McCormick believes that Hield should be the highest priority among their offseason targets, saying that the veteran shooting guard is the “perfect fit” to Philadelphia.
“Buddy Hield has been a name tied to the Sixers for a while now and for good reason, he is easily the perfect fit for what the Sixers need moving forward. Acquiring him in the offseason should be at the top of the Sixers’ list. Hield’s game is based around the one thing the Sixers need most, three-point shooting. Last season Hield shot just under 40% from three while shooting close to ten threes a game. Having an unconscious shooter from deep is exactly what the team needs to fix its spacing issues.”
Hield may not be an All-Star, but he would still be an incredible addition to the Sixers. As McCormick noted, acquiring Hield would immediately address Philadelphia’s need for improvement in terms of floor-spacing. Sharing the court with an elite three-point shooter like him would help the Sixers maximize the full potential of Simmons and Embiid as it would give them more space to execute their offense.
Aside from being a legitimate option from beyond the arc, Hield could also help in terms of rebounding, playmaking, and defending the perimeter. This season, he averaged 19.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from the three-point range, per ESPN.
Being traded to the Sixers would also be beneficial for Hield. Though he would likely be the third or fourth scoring option, he has a better chance of becoming a starter again in Philadelphia than he does in Sacramento. Additionally, teaming up with Embiid and Simmons would give him a realistic chance of playing in the NBA Finals and winning his first championship title next year.
